"Absurd!" Fengyu shouted, "Prince Sangnan has already agreed to grant passage, yet you go back on your word. Will Prince Sangnan break his promise to the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion?"
"The young Marquis is so intense, how strange. Tens of thousands of soldiers in Ningzhou are about to run out of food, facing imminent collapse. The Beiman iron cavalry is about to set foot on Yanyang's lands, and yet you're unwilling to part with a woman. Your grain is already by the river, packed and ready to go. Not to mention just one woman—even if I, the Princely Heir, demanded you serve me stripped of your clothes, wouldn't you bow down obediently? The Southwest Grain Road is your only route." Han Ziqi stretched out his leg, adopting a posture of arrogance. "Come dawn, I'm leaving the city. Young Marquis, you'd better decide quickly—the window of opportunity won't wait."
Xie Xun poured himself a cup of wine, bringing it lightly to his lips to smell. Fengyu couldn't hold her liquor, but Xie Xun enjoyed the scent of strong wine. His long, slender fingers pressed against the white porcelain cup, resembling a hint of snow reflected in Prince Sangnan's eyes. Fengyu couldn't read his intentions and remained silent for the moment.
"Young Marquis, is it the beauty you want—or the lives of tens of thousands of Ningzhou's soldiers?" Han Ziqi lifted the wine jug lazily, stepping toward Xie Xun and Fengyu—he, a wandering debaucherous noble, drawn to beauty yet determined to have his way. "Come, Beauty, let the Princely Heir pour your wine!"
Suddenly, Xie Xun smashed the wine cup, and porcelain shards scattered across the floor. In an instant, more than a dozen dark figures burst through the windows, swords drawn. The snow-bright blades gleamed as their edges pressed against Han Ziqi's throat.
The musician reacted swiftly, guarding with his sword while Sannan's Hidden Guards emerged from the shadows—but the curved blades of the opposing figures were unstoppable and quickly positioned against Han Ziqi's neck.
Han Ziqi hooked his finger around the wine jug, laughing nonchalantly, "Young Marquis, you've acted rashly."
Fengyu sat motionless and outwardly calm, yet her heart was uneasy. Oh, Princely Heir—your coveted beauty isn't a woman, it's actually the Young Marquis himself. Xie Xun replaced the broken cup with a clean one and poured himself another drink, remaining silent.
He held an unyielding calm, as if the looming disaster did not concern him.
Fengyu rose, but Flying Shadow stayed alert, carefully observing Xie Xun's expression. Fengyu said, "Princely Heir, you didn't come here sincerely to discuss collaboration. It seems more like you're here seeking revenge."
She had finally realized what was off—Han Ziqi had behaved insincerely from start to finish. If Prince Sangnan had truly approved granting passage, there'd be no need for a face-to-face discussion. A simple letter would've sufficed.
As for lusting after a beauty, that explanation didn't hold up either. He hadn't known there would be a beauty here, though his interest appeared genuine—it also seemed impulsive. There was only one explanation: he came seeking vengeance.
"Ah, you're right, it's revenge. An eye for an eye. Now, Young Marquis, you'd feel reluctant, would you?" Han Ziqi laughed mischievously, pressing his long fingers against the sharp blade. With a slight push, blood seeped from his skin. He smirked evilly, licking the blood from his fingertips. "Tonight, one of us will die!"
The trap was sprung; the dagger revealed!
He suddenly thrust his neck forward, catching Flying Shadow off-guard—he dared not truly kill Han Ziqi without Xie Xun's explicit command. That moment of hesitation allowed Han Ziqi to seize Fengyu. Fengyu had been wary of him the whole time and swiftly dodged his dagger. In that blink of an eye, both sides' Hidden Guards clashed violently.
Xie Xun, with his unparalleled martial skills, was trapped within Fengyu's body—a dragon confined to the depths. Meanwhile, Fengyu, inhabiting Xie Xun's body, lacked martial talents and struggled to defend herself.
Sannan's Hidden Guards charged at Xie Xun. Flying Shadow wielded his blade to defend, shielding them. Han Ziqi watched Xie Xun being protected. "Young Marquis, have you truly become a cripple? Such pity, such tragedy..."
Blood splattered across Fengyu's vision, and she felt something wet strike her face. She reached out, her fingers stained with blood. Her face turned ghostly pale as she clung tightly to Xie Xun's sleeve. To others' eyes, it seemed as though the tall and handsome Young Marquis sought the protection of the frail and helpless Third Miss.
The scene was utterly ludicrous.
Sannan's Hidden Guards outnumbered their foes, and the fierce fighting resulted in blood staining the warm tent. Fengyu grew extremely tense. "Young Marquis, shouldn't we… leave?"
With cold, sharp eyes, Xie Xun didn't respond. Nuanyang burst through the door, holding Fengyu's coral bracelet. She quickly slipped it onto Fengyu's wrist. Fengyu suddenly felt the world spin. Darkness overcame her vision, and when her senses returned, she was back in her own body.
Xie Xun's soul had returned to his original vessel. Drawing his sword, he lunged headfirst into the midst of Sannan's Hidden Guards. His longsword was lethal, cutting swiftly through throats with ruthless precision. With dragon-like agility, he moved through the crowd, dodging incoming blades and countering arrows by severing them mid-air. Alone, with his blade, he fought as though unchallenged. One after another, Han Ziqi's guards fell.
Han Ziqi's face shifted subtly. He'd heard rumors that Xie Xun had fallen from grace in the capital, supposedly weak and inept. Bringing elite forces to encircle him, Han Ziqi had aimed to corner his prey. Yet, Xie Xun remained ferocious as ever—the same youthful General who had once single-handedly stormed Beiman lands.
Xie Xun's sword pressed dangerously against Han Ziqi's throat.
"You can't kill me!" Han Ziqi finally showed fear. "I am Prince Sangnan's heir! If you kill me, you declare war against all of Sannan!"
Seeing their master captured, the Hidden Guards dropped their weapons. Xie Xun forced Han Ziqi to the window ledge, gripping him by his silk sash. Retrieving his sword, Xie Xun shoved Han Ziqi into the blood-drenched floor, coating his fine robes in red. In an icy voice, Xie Xun declared, "Out of respect, I call you 'Princely Heir'. Without it, I'd crush you like an insect."
"You wouldn't dare!" Han Ziqi shouted in rage.
Xie Xun thrust his sword into the floor by Han Ziqi's face, its keen edge emitting a sharp hum. Meeting Xie Xun's bloodthirsty gaze, Han Ziqi finally recognized fear. Xie Xun was indeed capable of killing him.
"Draft an immediate edict to the troops stationed along the Southwest Grain Road, permitting the shipment of grain to Lanzhou Port and its transfer to Lanning's grain route. If you refuse, you'll die tonight here at Furong Inn. I'll send for Prince Sangnan to collect your corpse—he has plenty of heirs; losing one won't matter." Xie Xun ground Han Ziqi's face into the blood. "Do you understand?"
"Fine, you win!" Han Ziqi lowered his head, no longer daring to provoke Xie Xun.
Nuanyang escorted the pale and trembling Fengyu downstairs. Qiuxiang was already waiting below. Seeing flashes of blades and chaos upstairs, Qiuxiang's face turned deathly white. She hurried toward Fengyu, wrapping her in a tight embrace. "Miss, are you alright? Miss, where's your cloak? Your hands are as cold as ice."
Qiuxiang had rushed out in haste and hadn't donned her own cloak. She shouted anxiously at Nuanyang, "Where's my Miss's cloak? She can't be left in the cold!"
Nuanyang slapped her forehead and dashed upstairs. Not long after, she returned with Xie Xun's cloak. Fengyu's cloak had been ruined during the melee, rendering it unusable. Qiuxiang quickly wrapped Xie Xun's cloak around Fengyu's body, finally bringing warmth to her icy figure.
"Miss, Miss..."
"I'm fine." Fengyu's gaze lingered upstairs. A slaughter had transpired in moments. Danger lurked everywhere—it was Xie Xun's world. She gripped her coral bracelet tightly, her emotions a tangled web of fear and complexity. After surviving the ordeal, relief flooded in. If not for her inhabiting Xie Xun's body during the conflict, no one would've ensured her safety amidst the chaos.